Tradition-true and yet completely contemporary, the swingin’ players in Big Time Operator have a look, a feel, and a totally contagious enthusiasm that’s hard to beat and impossible to ignore. Their reputation as Entertainers Extraordinaire is backed up by five San Diego Music Awards as Best Big Band. Led by singer Warren Lovell, Big Time Operator excels at playing classic big band arrangements, latin arrangements, and impressive original songs.

After a special meeting June 23, 2009 between the Carlsbad City Council and the Carlsbad Municipal Water District Board of Directors it was decided that water and wastewater rates for the city will go up 10 percent beginning August 1, 2009.

Nearly 74 percent of the water rate increase is directly related to increases in water purchase costs. The cost of water is increasing because of long term drought conditions along the Colorado River and legal restrictions on water that comes from Northern California. These two imported water sources make up 100 percent of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s supply. A small portion of the increase is also needed to maintain and operate the water system.

According to the North County TimesTip Top Meats had a fire today June 25, 2009: “Firefighters are responding to a fire reported at a popular restaurant and butcher just off Palomar Airport Road. . . .The fire at Tip Top Meats at 6118 Paseo Del Norte apparently started in some pallets alongside the building about 11:45 a.m. Thursday and spread to the structure, a fire dispatcher said.

Legoland is hosting 18 men and women today who are vying for the job of model builder at Carlsbadistan’s Legoland California. Ryan Wood (pictured right) of Los Angeles is one of them.

Only 24 people world-wide hold the title of Legoland Model Builder, 10 of them are at Legoland California. Coming from various backgrounds and skills, they all have two things in common: they use every ounce of creativity in their daily work, and they’re passionate about building with LEGO®. . . .After screening more than 150 applicants and auditioning more than 20 contenders using three skills tests on June 24, these 18 finalists will now go head to head at the final build-off at 1:30 p.m. on June 25 to compete for their dream job.

Dennis Gluck, 44, will be sent to Patton State Hospital for up to three years or until he regains his competency, authorities said. . . After reviewing a doctor’s report, Judge Frederick Maguire suspended criminal proceedings against Gluck and ordered that he be sent to the state mental hospital for treatment.

Hopefully, this means Gluck will be off the streets until a trial is finished.

The teen was found unconscious and not breathing . . . Medics pronounced the youth dead at the scene. His name was withheld pending notification of his family. . . Authorities said the boys had apparently been playing drinking games with tequila, vodka and whiskey before falling asleep. When the other three woke up about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Scott wasn’t breathing.

Carlsbad police Lt. Jay Eppel says there was “no evidence that the teenager’s death was a homicide.” Carlsbad Fire Battalion Chief Ed Sprague said there were no adults in the home when medics arrived.

[Update: The San Diego Union-Tribune says the teen’s name is Scott Eugene Roberts of Carlsbad. “A viewing is scheduled tonight at Oceanside Mortuary and the funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Meadowlark Community Church in San Marcos.”]

On his myspace page Nathan Williams of Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas proudly proclaims: “I’m The Zydeco Hog!!” and we’ve no reason to doubt this down-home, accordion-squeezing Louisiana musician.

The accordion-driven dance music of this Creole band is the expression of a remarkable South Louisiana family. Joining founder Nathan Williams (accordion), brother Dennis Paul Williams brings his jazz-influenced guitar chops to the group. Rubboard player Mark Williams is a cousin and keyboardist Nathan Williams Jr. takes the tradition to the next generation. With surprising musical turns and a distinctive Caribbean lilt that reaches back to the very beginnings of Creole culture, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas deliver uplifting, new music that stays true to its history.

Nathan and his Cha Chas family will be rocking Stagecoach Park this Friday night June 26, 2009 from 6-8 PM. Spicy, delicious, we’re sure.

One of the website’s readers was apparently invited to take an online survey.

The questions were all about building Legoland Florida, which would be based on the basic design and layout of the Legoland California park, and feature about 50 different rides and attractions. . . The survey asked some basic questions about ticket price levels as well trying to tell how interested people would be in visiting Legoland Florida on their next trip to the area. . . However the most interesting thing of all were questions that asked if Legoland chose to build their park on the site of Cypress Gardens, would you be more or less interested in visiting.

If plans go through it looks like Carlsbad will be a little less unique.

Former political speech writer Margaret A. Bengs remembers her father; a man who was a physician in Carlsbad for more than four decades, in a Fathers’ Day story in The Sacramento Bee.

Five years ago, when Dad could still walk without help, he took us up to the Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside. He led us to a row of cross-shaped headstones jutting up in a lush garden with a view of rolling hills out to the sea where a gold ray of sunshine trembled through the white mist. . . Standing tall beside each headstone, he gave us a commentary on each of the Benedictine monks buried there, whom he had treated during his four decades as a Carlsbad physician. . . .Happy Father’s Day, Dad. Your light will always guide my way.

We send our best Fathers’ Day wishes to all the dads who are doing their best for their children.

Carlsbadistan’s grand dame of Jazzercise Judi Sheppard Missett is interviewed in today’s The Desert Sun regarding her company’s 40th Anniversary and how it all got started. And it looks like business is going well.

It goes back to 1969, and my belief that dance can bring you health and joy, physically and mentally. What motivated me was an experience I had while teaching a class in Evanston between performances as a professional dancer. Some people stayed for two or three classes, and when I asked them why, they’d say, ‘Judi, I’m not here to be a professional dancer. We just want to have the body of a professional dancer.’ . . . Jazzercise Inc., an exercise phenomenon that grew from a one-woman class to a venture with more than 7,500 franchise locations that posted $93 million in systemwide sales in 2007-08.